Record Reviews

BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH ~ TRAVELLING SOMEWHERE CUNEIFORM 152 (Barcode: 045775015224) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2001 The saga of the British ensemble Brotherhood Of BreathFind albums by this artist and their leader pianist / composer Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist stretches back in time and space to South Africa in the early-1960s, where McGregor founded the first mixed-race Jazz group in the country, the Blue NotesFind albums by this artist. For the Apartheid regime mixed-race groups were hardly a welcome activity and the group suffered many hardships and found it difficult to perform for the white public. In 1964 the group got permission to travel to Europe and eventually arrived in London, where they decided to stay. The Blue Notes played around UK initially as a sextet (McGregor – piano, Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist – alto sax, Nick MoyakeFind albums by this artist – tenor sax, Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Johnny DyaniFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist – drums) and later as a quintet (after Moyake returned to SA). In spite of the fact that they were one of the most innovative and inspiring Jazz acts at the time, they never achieved proper recognition. The pioneering work of Jazz-World Fusion, with the emphasis on African music, which the group presented, was surely quite ahead of its time. By the early 1970s McGregor managed to form a large ensemble, combining the Blue Notes players with some of the most prominent British Jazz musicians of the time, which was called Brotherhood Of Breath. The resulting ensemble was surely one of the highlights of the British Jazz scene in the early to mid-1970s, offering an incredibly powerful stage act, which included a superb amalgam of modern Jazz, Free, Improvised Music and strong African music influence. The ensemble recorded but a few studio albums, but luckily many of their splendid concerts were recorded by radio stations and festivals, mostly around Europe, where they were always received warmly. This album documents a performance captured by the German Radio Bremen and is a superb example of what they were all about. The lineup (which changed slightly over time) includes: Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, Marc CharigFind albums by this artist and Mongezi Feza – trumpet, Nick EvansFind albums by this artist and Malcolm GriffithsFind albums by this artist – trombone, Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist, Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist, Dudu Pukwana and Gary WindoFind albums by this artist – saxophone, Chris McGregor – piano, Harry MillerFind albums by this artist – bass and Louis Moholo – drums. Both the individual and collective improvisations are all breathtaking and the entire concert is an orgy of sound and musical creativity. A must to all British Jazz enthusiasts and definitely worth investigating for all open-minded music lovers.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JOHNNY DYANI ~ REJOICE / TOGETHER CADILLAC 012/013 (Barcode: 5020675971325) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 - 1980 Released: 2014 This is an expanded 2CD reissue / remaster of two albums involving the great South African (and later British / European) bassist Johnny DyaniFind albums by this artist, both released on the legendary CadillacFind albums on this label label, founded by John JackFind albums by this artist. The first album “RejoiceFind albums with this title” was recorded by Dyani with trumpeter Mongezi FezaFind albums by this artist and Turkish drummer / percussionist Okay TemizFind albums by this artist, collectively called XabaFind albums by this artist, in 1972, but released only in 1988, and is here expanded by a previously unreleased track, over twenty minutes in duration. The second album “TogetherFind albums with this title” was recorded by the ensemble called Witchdoctor`s SonFind albums by this artist, an octet that included Dyani on keyboards and vocals, saxophonist Dudu PukwanaFind albums by this artist and other musicians, recorded between 1979-1980, but released only in 1987. Both albums were recorded in Stockholm, Sweden. The album is a great tribute to South African expatriate community, which contributed greatly to the development of the British and European Jazz scene over the years, in many respects more profoundly than any other group among the many emigres that turned British Jazz into the most interesting and culturally fertile grounds ever. Of course Dyani, Feza and Pukwana are best known for their work as members of the legendary Blue NotesFind albums by this artist ensemble. Musically the two albums are quite different: The intimate trio recording spotlights the Free Jazz phenomenon with emphasis of Feza’s sensational trumpet virtuosity, Dyani’s superb bass pulsations and the extraordinary drumming fluency of Temiz, who was resident in Stockholm when the trio set was recorded. The trio recorded several albums together, all released at the time on Swedish labels. The octet recording is more about collective improvisation and ethnic influences, group dynamic and the joy of playing together. Overall, as all the Cadillac reissues, this is a brilliant document of the British Jazz scene, which should be an absolutely essential part of any serious British Jazz collection, thankfully now available on CD, with the original LPs being now very hard to find. Grab a copy as long as they last!

Updated: 08/08/2023Posted: 08/08/2023

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend